Happy Thanksgiving :)

Talisman

What are you thankful for today?

MaryAnne

My husband, family and friends.
Surviving Super-storm Sandy without property damage or losing everything like so many others. :-(
Being able to help a few people who did suffer greatly because of that storm.
Finding something to laugh about at least once a day in spite of it all.
Too many other things to list.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to Everyone everywhere.

karasti

For my family, my friends, a comfortable home, a husband that got up early to cook turkey, the fact that air raid sirens don't interrupt my meal time, for making the decision in the past year to really focus on the Dharma, for finding my teacher, for how far my oldest son has come when just a couple years ago we weren't sure he'd be able to function in high school. The only thing right now I'm not thankful for is the fact we're forecast to get a bit of a winter storm tonight and tomorrow and were supposed to travel to see my in-laws (our last visit 2 weeks ago was canceled due to a storm, too). But, if I have to stay home and enjoy a visit with my sister, then that's the way it goes

Have a great holiday everyone

lobster

I am thankful I am not a turkey :wave:

Be Happy guys . . .

Jason

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I'm thankful for the few good friends I have, my relative good health, and my Buddhist practice, which has been guiding me in the right direction for almost a decade. In addition, I thought I'd also share my FB status here, not to be a downer so much as to highlight what this day has come to mean to me:

For me, like many others, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and (more importantly) share a delicious meal with those around me in the spirit of generosity and kindness. And while I love to stuff my face full of delicious, home-cooked food as much as the next stereotypical American, I think it's worthwhile to reflect on the history of Thanksgiving.

Much like Columbus Day, this holiday is marred by a grim and bloody past, from the mythologized 1621 celebration at Plymouth to the 1863 proclamation by President Lincoln for a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens" during the midst of the Civil War.

The former belies the tragic fate of the Native Americans that unfolded under Manifest Destiny and the 19th century policy of Indian removal, while the latter was set within the context of what many consider to be the deadliest war in American history.

So for me, today isn't just about being thankful, overeating, and maybe watching some football. It's also about remembering the rather somber and often overlooked history underlying this holiday with the intention to learn from the past and strengthen my resolve to try and make this world a better place. As George Santayana famously wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Vastmind

May we all strive not to be jive turkeys. lololololol

vinlyn

There are two sayings that are equally valid:

""Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it", and "Those who dwell on the past are condemned to repeat it".

karasti

I don't think anyone is dwelling. It's good to keep in mind the roots of holidays and what they mean to others. Our days of remembrance and celebration are days of painful reminders for others, and I think keeping that in mind is important.

vinlyn

@Karasti, I didn't say anyone was "dwelling". I just pointed out that there is an equally valid concept that is sort of the opposite. It is something we need to be aware of. There's another thread about Gaza. There's a part of the world where people have dwelled on the past and keep repeating it...on both sides.

Jason

I'm also thankful for all the food I'm going to eat today. This year I'm going two places for Thanksgiving. At about 11am, I'm going to Miao Fa Chan Temple for a vegetarian hot pot. And sometime after that, I'm going to have dinner at a friend of a friend's house that I've never met and don't know. Should be interesting.

Niwalen

My Husband my cats, my job, my house, good family and friends, free healthcare and living in a beautiful country.

Jeffrey

I'm worried about my friend who had heart surgery and a stroke. So from that perspective it is hard to think in terms of thanks. But in other areas I am thankful of my parents good will towards me, for example. I am also thankful that it is two days from the Michigan v Ohio State game and the Florida v Florida State game. College football is really important to me; every day I go to bed I think how many days till saturday and this is the last game of the season and big rivalries.